Helmet comprising retractable visors for fast day/night reconfiguration

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a helmet with retractable visors for fast day/night reconfiguration.  
     For that, the helmet ( 1 ) is designed at the articulations of the visors to allow the use of articulations that can be disassembled without tools. The day visor ( 15 ) is thus made modular and removable and is mounted on the helmet by a translational movement in a direction (F) allowing the upper part ( 16 ) to engage in a saggital guide rail of the helmet and allowing rotation axes of the helmet to engage in the articulation part of the lateral arms ( 8 ) of the visor, locking being effected by hand using a pivoting lever ( 8 ). For night missions, the day visor is removed and replaced with a night module mounted on the helmet using the same type of articulation.  
     The invention applies in particular to helmets for aircraft pilots, allowing unprepared ejection.

[0001] The present invention relates to a helmet comprising retractablevisors for fast day/night reconfiguration.

[0002] A helmet for an aircraft pilot, particularly the pilot of acombat airplane, is generally a multifunction affair equipped withvisors. Such a helmet comprises a rigid shell which generally surroundsthe top, rear and lateral parts of the wearer's skull. The helmetgenerally comprises visors through which the helmet wearer can see hisenvironment; these visors are usually retractable toward the top of theskull and afford the face protection against various kinds of attack(wind, dust, light or strong illumination, etc.). For that, a standardhelmet is generally provided with a dark visor arranged closest to theface and retractable up inside the helmet, to afford protection againststrong illumination, particularly for day vision. Furthermore, for dayuse, a retractable clear visor mounted on the shell of the helmet on theoutside and lockable in a folded-down position is provided. For nightuse, it is necessary to insert night vision equipment in front of thewearer's eyes. However, the bulk of such equipment then prevents it frombeing possible to lower the clear day visor.

[0003] One very important problem which arises with all helmets is thatof the weight carried when the pilot has to eject or in the event of aviolent impact

the aircraft crashes for example. What happens during ejection is thatit is absolutely essential

pilot's face to be protected by a

-down

Furthermore, the weight of the functional elements added to the helmetand the way in which they are positioned tend to impose forces which aredangerous to the pilot's neck in the event of strong accelerations, suchas the acceleration involved in an ejection, and it is thereforenecessary to avoid adding additional elements, particularly onespositioned away from the natural center of gravity of the pilot's barehead and neck.

[0004] One solution currently recommended in the event of pilot ejectionis for the night vision equipment to be ejected then the clear day visorlowered before the pilot ejects. However, a significant disadvantage isthat the ejection of the pilot needs to be prepared for. It might bepossible to anticipate keeping the night vision equipment with a thirdclear visor arranged in front of it to protect the pilot's face in theevent of ejection. That would allow for unprepared ejection. However,the mass added to the helmet and the offset of the center of gravitywould then become prohibitive (5 to 10% would be added to the weight ofthe helmet with a significant lever arm with respect to the pilot'sneck).

[0005] The anticipated solution is therefore to provide just two visors(one clear, one dark) for use whether by day or by night.

[0006] For that, the invention anticipates adapting the standard helmetto allow fast reconfiguration replacing a day visor which does notadversely affect the ergonomics of the standard helmet, by a nightmodule incorporating night vision equipment and a clear visor in frontof this equipment and lockable in the down position. This is achievedaccording to the invention using articulations between the visor or thenight module and the helmet that can be disassembled without tools.

[0007] According to the invention, there is therefore

a helmet comprising retractable visors for

day/night reconfiguration, said helmet comprising a shell including asaggital guide rail with a central opening, characterized in that itcomprises a retractable day visor or a night module incorporating nightvision equipment and a retractable visor in front of this equipment, theday visor and the night module being interchangeable rapidly and withouttools and comprising an upper central part collaborating with said guiderail and lateral arms each symmetrically equipped with an articulationto the shell of the helmet that can be disassembled without tools and inthat each of said articulations about a common rotation axis comprises afirst part secured to the shell, comprising at least one guide boss forguidance in a predetermined direction perpendicular to said rotationaxis and a peripheral channel and a second part secured to the armcomprising at least one locking lever articulated in said second part tobe immobilized in said channel.

[0008] This easy removal is made possible by virtue of R specialarticulation architecture.

[0009] According to this other aspect of the invention, there istherefore provided a helmet as defined hereinabove, characterized inthat:

[0010] said first part comprises a bearing and guide piece secured tothe shell having at least one bearing face perpendicular to said axiswhich it surrounds and exhibiting said guide boss for guidance in saidpredetermined direction perpendicular to said rotation axis;

[0011] said second part comprises at least:

[0012] an intermediate piece consisting of a washer equipped with aperipheral groove and with a slot extending from the center to theperiphery of the intermediate piece, the respective shape and size ofsaid slot and of said boss being tailored to one another so that whenthe intermediate piece comes to bear against said bearing surface of thebearing piece, the boss is engaged in the slot and prevents theintermediate piece from rotating;

[0013] said lever of semicircular overall shape pivoting about a pivotarranged in the groove of the intermediate piece and on the oppositeside to the opening of the slot, said boss comprising an outerperipheral channel which can be aligned with the groove of theintermediate piece when the latter is bearing against the bearing pieceso that the internal edge of the lever, in the locked position, becomesinserted in the facing part of the groove and in the channel of theboss;

[0014] means of fixing the intermediate piece on said arm allowing thesepieces a limited relative rotation about the rotation axis;

[0015] and in that said predetermined direction of each of thearticulations lies in a plane containing said rotation axes and thecenter of the central opening of the rail.

[0016] By nature of these features it is thus possible quickly andwithout tools to reconfigure the helmet, switching from a dayconfiguration with a clear day visor to a night configuration with anight module and lockable clear visor, in all cases allowing the pilotto eject without any preparation while at the same time maintainingcommon day use without any adverse effects on ergonomics.

[0017] The invention will be better understood and other features andadvantages will become apparent from the description which follows andfrom the appended drawings in which:

[0018]FIG. 1 is a view of a helmet designed for fast reconfiguration;

[0019]FIGS. 2A and 2B depict, in section and as an exploded view, themechanism of an articulation that can be disassembled without tools fora helmet according to the invention;

[0020]FIG. 3 shows a view of the fitting of a day visor on the helmetaccording to the invention;

[0021]FIG. 4 illustrates the sequence of locking the articulation ofFIGS. 2A and 2B;

[0022]FIG. 5 is a view of the helmet fitted with its day visor accordingto the invention;

[0023]FIG. 6 is a view of the night configuration for the helmet of theinvention;

[0024]FIG. 7 shows a view of the fitting of the night module onto thehelmet; and

[0025]FIG. 8 illustrates the mounting of the night vision equipment inrespect of the helmet according to the invention.

[0026] As already explained hereinabove, the object of the invention isto be able to use a standard helmet with night vision equipment while atthe same time allowing unprepared ejection without any adverse effect onthe ergonomics in the day configuration. As was also already mentioned,in the event of ejection, it is essential for the helmet wearer's faceto be protected by a visor.

[0027] In a standard helmet, the clear day visor, arranged in front ofthe helmet with respect to the tinted visor, is far too close to thepilot's face to allow night vision equipment to be inserted between theface and the day visor. That being the case, the solutions used orconceivable may consist either in replacing the clear day visor withanother visor further away from the face with the disadvantage ofadversely affecting the ergonomics of the helmet in the dayconfiguration, or in using a third clear visor compatible with thewearing of the night vision equipment, but with the disadvantage ofexcessive carried mass, or finally, in providing automatic ejection ofsome of the helmet-mounted equipment, something which is very difficultto optimize.

[0028] To solve this problem, the invention has conceived of the idea ofadapting the standard helmet to allow fast day/night reconfiguration bytoolless replacement of the clear visor of the day configuration with anight module incorporating a retractable visor, so that there are neverany more than two visors (one clear and one dark) both by day and bynight. This minimizes the carried mass but still affords visorprotection to allow the pilot to eject without preparation by day or bynight.

[0029]FIG. 1 is a view of a helmet adapted to give it the ability toalternate rapidly and without tools between the day configuration andthe night configuration. To do that, the outer (clear) day visor and thelateral mechanisms of this visor are removed, leaving on the shell 1 ofthe helmet only the rotation axes 4 and the control knobs 3 for thetinted inner visor,

mechanism of which will not be described further because it isunchanged. A first part of the removable articulations arrangedsymmetrically on each side of the helmet comprises, apart from therotation axis 4, a bearing and guidance piece 2 attached about the axis4 and screwed onto the shell 1. In position, this piece 2 comprises abearing face facing outward and perpendicular to the rotation axis andcomprising a guide boss, as will be seen later on. The helmet is alsoequipped with a saggital guide rail 10 with a central opening 11 andteeth 12 for locking the equipment in the down position.

[0030]FIGS. 2A and 2B depict an articulation that can be disassembledwithout tools for articulating a lateral arm 8 of a day visor or of anight module to the shell 1 of the helmet. As can be seen in FIG. 2B,the piece 2 on its bearing face 22 bears a guide boss 20 extending in apredetermined direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 4 (FIG. 1)and lying in a plane containing the rotation axes and the center of thecentral opening 11 of the rail 10.

[0031] The articulation comprises a second part secured to the arm 8 andcomprising an intermediate piece 5, an insert piece 7 and a lockinglever 6. The intermediate piece 5 in the form of a washer is equippedwith a peripheral groove 50 and with a slot 51 extending from the centerto the periphery of the intermediate piece. This

has a size and shape tailored to those of the boss

so that when the piece 5 comes to bear against the bearing surface 22,the boss 20 is engaged in the slot 51 and prevents the piece 5 fromrotating. This piece is equipped with a lever 6 of semicircular overallshape pivoting about a pivot 61 arranged in the groove 50 on theopposite side to the slot 51. The boss 20 comprises, as can be seen indetail A of FIG. 2B, an outer peripheral channel 21 which becomesaligned with the groove 50 of the piece 5 when the latter is bearingagainst the bearing piece 2. Thus, the internal edge 60 of the lever 6,in the locked position, becomes inserted in the facing part of thegroove 50 and in the channel 21 of the boss.

[0032] The insert piece 7 comprises a slot 70 parallel to the directionof the slot 51 of the intermediate piece 5 extending from the center ofthe piece 7 to its periphery with dimensions such that it allows thepassage of the rotation axis 4 and the centering on this axis in thearticulation locked position. The insert piece 7 also comprises acentered pivot 71 engaging in a corresponding housing of the arm 8 toallow and guide limited rotation of the arm 8 with respect to the pieces5 and 7. Finally, the arm 8 comprises a slot 81 with the same dimensionsas the slot 70 and aligned with the latter in the unlocked position.

[0033] Fixing means secure the pieces 5 and 7 to the arm 8 while at thesame time allowing limited rotation of the arm 8 with respect to thepieces 5, 7. For that, there are provided for example screws 9 screwedonto the intermediate piece 5 through the piece 7 and oblong holes 80pierced in the arm 8, in the shape of arcs of circles centered on therotation axis 4 in the locked position.

[0034]FIG. 2B depicts, in section, all these pieces in the lockedposition. Having described these articulations, FIG. 3 shows the fittingof a day visor 15 on the helmet. The movement of the visor 15 iseffected in the direction F parallel to the predetermined direction ofthe boss 20. The upper mechanism 16 of the visor is slipped into thecentral opening of the rail at the same time as the piece 5 secured tothe visor is guided over the boss of the piece 2 secured to the helmet.The slots 51, 70 and 81 allow the rotation axis 4 to pass. Of course, oneach lateral arm of the visor there is an identical disassemblablearticulation, these articulations being symmetric with respect to thesaggital plane of the helmet.

[0035]FIG. 4 illustrates the sequence of locking an articulation, onlythe pieces 2 and 5 and the lever 6 being depicted, the piece 5 being insection in steps b) to d).

[0036] The arrow F1 in step a) shows only how the lever 6 was initiallyassembled with the piece 5. Step d) shows the start of the fitting ofthe visor onto the helmet in the direction F2. The end of the lever 6has an inclined plane 62 which comes into contact with the boss 20 andpushes the lever 6 back toward the position shown in dotted line in thedirection of the arrow F3. Then (step c)), the slot 51 begins to engageover the boss 20 in the direction of movement F4. Finally, in step d),when full engagement is achieved, locking takes place, by acting on thelever 6 in the direction of the arrow F5.

[0037]FIG. 5 shows the adapted helmet with its clear day visor fitted.The visor 15 therefore occupies the same position as a standard dayvisor and can be manipulated in the central part and locked in the downposition on the teeth 12 (FIG. 1) of the rail. It can therefore be seenthat the visor can very easily be fitted or removed without tools.Removal is performed by raising the visor to the level of the centralopening of the rail and manually unlocking the two levers 6. During theupward movement of the visor, the slot 81 of the arms 8 has come backinto coincidence with the slots 51 and 70 to release the rotation axes4.

[0038] In the night configuration, the day visor is removed and a nightmodule mounted on the helmet with identical articulations on the lateralarms is used. FIG.

shows the night configuration architecture. The

module comprises a crown piece 30 with its lateral arm fixed to thehelmet 1 by articulations 32 identical to the ones already described.The crown piece is equipped with the same upper locking mechanism as thevisor, collaborating with the rail 10. The clear visor 31 supported bythe crown piece is further away from the helmet wearer's face so thatnight vision equipment can be locked in front.

[0039] The crown piece with the visor is fitted onto the helmet as shownin FIG. 7. This is done in practically the same way as with the clearday visor.

[0040] The night vision equipment is then received as depicted in FIG.8. The visor 31 and the crown piece 30 are in the raised position wherethey are held simply by friction on the rotation axes of the lateralarticulations. The night vision equipment 40 is then offered up and, viaits piece 41, for example in the shape of a dovetail, locks onto thehelmet 1. Once fitted, this equipment lends the visor 31 the possibilityof being folded down in front of it and of locking in the down positionin the teeth of the rail, something which is of primordial importance inorder to guarantee that the visor will hold during an ejection, whichtherefore does not require preparation.

[0041] Of course, the exemplary embodiments described do bot restrictthe invention. As can be seen, the invention makes it possible tomaintain in day configuration, a bulk and ergonomics which are identicalto those of a standard helmet even though the clear day visor has becomemodular.

1. A helmet comprising retractable visors for fast day/nightreconfiguration, said helmet comprising a shell (1) including a saggitalguide rail (10) with a central opening (11), characterized in that itcomprises a retractable day visor (15, 8) or a night moduleincorporating night vision equipment (40) and a retractable visor (31)in front of this equipment, the day visor and the night module beinginterchangeable rapidly and without tools and comprising an uppercentral part collaborating with said guide rail and lateral arms (8; 30)each symmetrically equipped with an articulation to the shell (1) of thehelmet that can be disassembled without tools and in that each of saidarticulations about a common rotation axis (4) comprises a first part(2, 4) secured to the shell (1), comprising at least one guide boss (20)for guidance in a predetermined direction perpendicular to said rotationaxis and a peripheral channel (21) and a second part (5, 6, 7) securedto the arm (8; 30) comprising at least one locking lever (6) articulatedin said second part to be immobilized in said channel.
 2. The helmet asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that: said first part (2, 4)comprises a bearing and guide piece (2) secured to the shell (1) havingat least one bearing face (22) perpendicular to said axis which itsurrounds and exhibiting said guide boss (20) for guidance in saidpredetermined direction perpendicular to said rotation axis; said secondpart (5, 6, 7) comprises at least: an intermediate piece (5) consistingof a washer equipped with a peripheral groove (50) and with a slot (51)extending from the center to the periphery of the intermediate piece(5), the respective shape and size of said slot and of said boss beingtailored to one another so that when the intermediate piece (5) comes tobear against said bearing surface (22) of the bearing piece, the boss isengaged in the slot and prevents the intermediate piece from rotating;said lever (6) of semicircular overall shape pivoting about a pivot (61)arranged in the groove (50) of the intermediate piece and on theopposite side to the opening of the slot (51), said boss comprising anouter peripheral channel (21) which can be aligned with the groove (50)of the intermediate piece when the latter is bearing against the bearingpiece (2) so that the internal edge (60) of the lever, in the lockedposition, becomes inserted in the facing part of the groove and in thechannel (21) of the boss; means (9, 80) of fixing the intermediate piece(5) on said arm allowing these pieces a limited relative rotation aboutthe rotation axis (4); and in that said predetermined direction of eachof the articulations lies in a plane containing said rotation axes (4)and the center of the central opening (11) of the rail (10).
 3. Thehelmet as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the second partfurther comprises an insert piece (7) arranged between said intermediatepiece (5) and said arm (8; 30) and fixed to said intermediate piece tocenter said limited rotation about said rotation axis (4).
 4. The helmetas claimed in one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said fixingmeans consists of screws (9) screwed onto the intermediate piece (5)through oblong holes (80) pierced in said arm (8; 30) in the shape ofarcs of circles centered on said rotation axis in the locked position.5. The helmet as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the insertpiece 7 has a slot

to the direction of the slot (51) of the intermediate piece (5) andextending from the center of the insert piece to its periphery withdimensions such that it allows the passage of said rotation axis (4) andcentering on said rotation axis (4) in the articulation locked position,and a centered pivot (71) engaging in a corresponding housing in the armto allow and guide its limited rotation, and in that said arm has a slot(81) of roughly the same size as the slot (70) and aligned with thelatter in the unlocked position.
 6. The helmet as claimed in claim 5,characterized in that the slots (50, 70 and 81) of the intermediatepiece (5), of the insert piece (7) and of the arm (8) are aligned andparallel to said predetermined direction when said visor or said nightmodule is being mounted and removed, the fitting or removal movementbeing effected parallel to said predetermined direction.
 7. The helmetas claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said lever (6) of eacharticulation comprises, at its opposite end to the pivot (61), aninclined plane (62) such that, while the visor is being fitted, itcollaborates with the boss (20) to automatically move the lever awayfrom its locked position and allow this boss and the rotation axis (4)to engage into the bottom of the slots of the intermediate piece, of theinsert piece and of the arm of the visor.
 8. The helmet as claimed inany one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the night modulecomprises a crown piece (30) supporting a clear visor (31), arrangedfurther forward on the helmet than the day visor so as to allow nightvision equipment (40) to be fitted between the helmet wearer's face andthe visor, and bearing the second parts of said articulations (32).